Cornish school develops new safety system for quarries

A Cornish school has developed a new health and safety management system for the quarrying sector.

'Quarrysafe' is the result of extensive research by the Camborne School of Mines, which is part of the University of Exeter.

Jon Bennett, the Camborne School of Mines researcher for the project said that the new safety system emphasises people-related elements, such as visible management commitment and workforce involvement as well as covering legal and procedural requirements.

"Quarrying has moved forward immensely in the last few years in the management of health and safety, while always having to maintain production imperatives," he observed.

Mr Bennett continued: "The challenge is to build on this momentum and to ensure that every individual in the sector is included in the improvement effort, with the ultimate aim of eradicating significant injuries and occupational diseases."

According to figures from the Health and Safety Executive, the quarry industry fatality rate in June 2000 averaged three times that of construction.

The industry also had the highest injury rate of any other sector.

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